Never forget!

On this date eight years ago, this nation was shocked to it's core by a suicide attack perpetrated by members of the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaida. Since then, largely due to the efforts of thousands of men and women in various branches of the government, we have thankfully not suffered a repeat attack, even though Al-Qaida has tried to do so over and over and over again.

We have one man that we can thank for exhibiting true leadership in keeping our nation safe, and that is former President George W. Bush. Without his decisiveness in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism, I do not know if we would have avoided another attack, or even multiple attacks. To President Bush I say a heartfelt thank you for doing what you knew had to be done, regardless of the personal cost you knew you were going to pay.

To those thousands of men and women in the various branches of government, both civilian and military, who have fought the good fight to keep America safe, I also say thank you. You will never know how much what you have done, and are still doing, means to me and countless others who are able to continue living their daily lives in our great nation.

To those families who lost loved ones on that fateful day in 2001, my heart goes out to you yet again, as we observe - both publicly and privately - a national day of mourning. I also want to say thank you for fighting to ensure that proper memorials to the events of that day, and the lives lost, are erected in New York City, Washington DC, and that lonely field in Pennsylvania.

To the first responders who put their lives on the line that day - with many also losing their lives in the line of duty that day - to the cops, firefighters, EMT's and other medical personnel, and ordinary citizens who felt compelled to do something to help, I also want to say thank you for your selflessness and your bravery. There aren't many who would have done what you did, and that makes you a special breed, and we are all truly blessed that such folks as you step up and move forward when others fall back.

To continue to honor those directly involved in this tragedy, and as a reminder of what could happen again, I call on all Americans to never forget!

Patient Choice Act

If this was what the current administration had proposed, instead of their fast road down a slippery slope to a single-payer system (which is their ultimate goal - just ask Barney Frank!), I would have been on board in a heart beat.

This plan seems fair, and seeks to *not* add to the deficit while still providing that all Americans get affordable health care insurance tailored to their specific needs - as opposed to the Obamaniac's reckless push to both get this country to a single-payer system, and bankrupt us.

However, don't hold your breath waiting for Congress as a whole to jump on board with this. Why not? Two reasons:
1. It was not proposed by the NSDWP* (aka Dems), therefore it isn't worth considering;
2. It gives power to the People, which this administration is adamantly opposed to, as power equals control. If the People have control, then that means that the government doesn't, and that will never, ever, do.

*National Socialist Democratic Workers Party (which originally raised it's ugly head in 1930's Germany)

H/T conservative67

Poll: Americans losing confidence in Obama

As reported here, [a] new poll says that Americans, concerned over the future of health care reform and anxious about the growing federal budget deficit, are losing faith in President Barack Obama.

The Washington Post-ABC News survey found that less that half of Americans - 49 percent - say they believe the president will make the right decisions for the country. That's down from 60 percent at the 100-day mark of the Obama presidency.

The poll published Friday says Obama's overall approval is 57 percent, 12 points lower than it was at its peak in April. Fifty-three percent disapprove of the way he's handling the budget deficit and his approval on health care continues to deteriorate.

The national survey was conducted Aug. 13-17 and has a sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Looks like at least some of the "52ers" are finally starting to wake up. All I can say is, it's about time.

Nickels bows out

As reported here, [w]ith his re-election prospects dimming by the day, Mayor Greg Nickels conceded Friday morning that he had lost the primary election. It's a stunning defeat for the two-term incumbent.

And, I might add, richly deserved.

"I think the people of Seattle have decided it's time for a new generation of leadership," he said at a morning announcement and news conference.

Gee ... what was your first clue, Sherlock?

His decision to bow out means Seattleites in November will choose between two men most had never heard of six months ago: businessman Joe Mallahan and environmentalist Michael McGinn. Both have spent months attacking the unpopular Nickels.

He made it easy for them to verbally attack him, with his blunders (see below) and arrogant style of "leadership".

Among his accomplishments, he mentioned light rail, the Lake Union streetcar and an agreement to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Light rail - an expensive (and getting more so each day) boondoggle. Years ago, the city built a transit tunnel under the downtown core, and laid tracks for the future development of light rail. Guess what? The tracks were the wrong width, and had to ripped out and re-laid, because by the time the city finally got around to choosing which light rail system they were going to purchase, no one was making anything that ran on the width of tracks originally laid down.

The Lake Union streetcar - also known as the SLUT (for South Lake Union Transit), which no one thought about (the acronym) before they named it, and announced it to the public. I don't know what the ridership figures are for it, but when I see it in the mornings, during peak commute time, there might only be one person on it - the driver.

The agreement to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct - the only thing I've ever agreed with him on, and that took EIGHT YEARS to come to. The Viaduct was severely damaged during the Nisqually earthquake back in 2001, and has been settling ever since. When (not if) the next big earthquake comes along - if they don't get this project going SOON! - the Viaduct will come crashing down. Makes me wonder how many people in the approximately 110,000 vehicles that use that road on a daily basis will die.

"I think there were dozens of issues on which I lost votes. The thing about being mayor is you have to make decisions …. Eventually you get to make everybody unhappy … but at the end of the day you have to make decisions or you're not doing your job."

Let me count the ways you made all of unhappy, Greg ...
- Seattle Sonics being allowed to go to Oklahoma City.
- $25.00 head tax, charged to businesses for each employee. Gee, nice way to encourage businesses to come here, Greg.
- Light rail - see above.
- Twenty cent bag tax (which was recently defeated) on plastic and/or paper bags from grocery, drug, and convenience stores.
- So-called "Urban Villages" concept, where people would live near where they worked, so they wouldn't drive their cars (See $25.00 head tax above).
- SLUT - see above.
- Christmas 2008 snow storm, where the people of Seattle were left to fend for themselves because the city didn't know how to plow the friggin' streets (I personally lost two weeks of work because of that!).
- Deteriorating streets in the city. There are potholes everywhere - you simply cannot avoid them. Nickels solution? Charge a per-space tax on parking lots (another "business friendly" move) to raise revenue for repairing roads. Only problem with this is, people aren't using the parking lots in the numbers Greg expected (hoped?), and so revenue from this tax is way down from projected numbers. Oh, and where is the money going that is being generated? Well, from the conditions of the streets around here, it obviously isn't going into street repair! So, where is it going, Greg?
- Nickelsville (aka Tent City) - homeless folks who are forced to pick up and move every few months, while they try to eke out a living, and get back on their feet. A little background, before someone goes off half cocked about these folks. Everyone that is allowed to stay in Tent City is background checked to bar anyone with a violent criminal history, and no alcoholics or drug users are allowed; they are people, who for the most part, do have jobs but don't make enough to be able to get housing; and from all reports that I've read, all of them are in the position they're in through no fault of their own - life circumstances simply overwhelmed them, forcing them out of where they used to live. They are ordinary folks like you and me, who are in unfortunate straights.

I could go on ... and on ... and on ... but space is limited, so I'll leave it with those examples, which, I think, suffice for now.

Unlike his predecessor, Paul Schell, there were no huge gaffes during Nickels' two terms.

Oopsy! Go back, and read my short list above, ok?

Nickels and Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis were criticized for being too dictatorial ...

And the number one reason why? Because they were! Not only to the people who work under them, but to the citizens of Seattle as well.

I, for one, am glad to see that Greg Nickels will no longer be the Mayor of the City of Seattle.

Political columnist Robert Novak dies at 78

As reported here, [p]olitical columnist Robert Novak, a conservative, pugilistic debater and proud owner of the "Prince of Darkness" moniker, died Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer that was diagnosed in July 2008. He was 78.

His wife of 47 years, Geraldine Novak, told The Associated Press that he died at his home in Washington early in the morning.

The Conservative movement has lost a man who, although he at times disagreed with various Republican policies, was deeply patriotic, caring for this great nation of ours - what it stood for, and what it was doing, both domestically and internationally. Robert Novak was not merely a journalist with a Conservative bent, he was a giant among men.

RIP, Mr. Novak. You will be missed.

Happy Independence Day

Today marks the 233rd anniversary of the birth of the greatest nation on this planet. I feel truly blessed to be a citizen of this country, able to enjoy the freedoms our forefathers fought so valiantly for.

Be safe, and have a wonderful day as we all celebrate today.

Happy Birthday, America!

Thoughts on Iran

I've been watching the goings on in Iran with some interest, and have been inspired by the way the Iranian people are standing up to the theocratic dictators as they demand their freedom. The reaction of the theocratic thugs has been predictable - beatings, using water cannons, arrests, and yes, even killings.

For years now, our government administration (both Democrat and Republican) has been urging the Iranian people to rise up, and now that they have, what is our current administration doing? Nothing. Apparently government run universal health care is more important at the moment, as Charles Krauthammer notes here. Iran is ripe for the plucking right now - the plucking from the hands of the dictators the fundamental individual rights of freedom for the Iranian people - and the idiot "in charge" here is in so far over his head that he has no idea what an opportunity for real "Hope and Change" is laid out before him. Disgusting.

As I've been watching what has been happening in Iran, one thing has struck me as quite amazing. The Iranian women. They are considered second class citizens in present Iranian culture (fostered and enforced by the theocratic thugs in power), and yet it is they who are, many times, in the forefront of the protests. Minus their hijabs (head coverings), I might add. They have the most to lose by putting themselves in the forefront, yet they also have the most to gain - their personal freedom from the tyranny of the theocratic thugs.

Let us hope that those who are rising up will prevail in their quest for freedom, and not the thugs who want to suppress them.

H/T for the Charles Krauthammer link - specialrpt, posting in quicknews.

Memorial Day

Today, we observe the day set aside to honor our fallen heroes, those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, from past and present wars. With that in mind, I present to you the music of the various branches.

As you go about your activities today, please remember that the reason we are able to freely go about those activities is due to the sacrifice, and on this day specifically the ultimate sacrifice, of those who have worn the uniforms of our great nation.

US Air Force



US Army



US Marine Corps



US Navy

Administration open to taxing health benefits

As reported here, [t]he Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system.

The proposal is politically problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one he denounced in the presidential campaign as "the largest middle-class tax increase in history." Most Americans with insurance get it from their employers, and taxing workers for the benefit is opposed by union leaders and some businesses.

What is not mentioned at all in the article is the fact that if this does go into effect, people will then be inclined to not have health insurance through their employer, to avoid the tax hit from having health insurance. That would then increase the burden on emergency rooms across the country from people who no longer would have employer provided insurance turning to emergency rooms for their health needs, which would in turn increase the drain on public money to fund services for those without health insurance. In effect, we already are being taxed on our health insurance, to provide coverage for those that do not have health insurance and make use of hospital emergency rooms, and by placing a tax on employer provided insurance means we would be, in effect, getting hit twice for the same thing.

The bad economic ideas just keep coming, folks.

Feds OK gray wolves' removal from endangered list

As reported here, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Friday he was upholding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to remove gray wolves from the federal endangered list in the Northern Rockies and the western Great Lakes.

Wolves would remain a federally protected species in Wyoming because the state's law and management plans were not strong enough, he said. But management of the predator will be turned over to state agencies in Montana and Idaho and parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah, in addition to the Great Lakes states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Obama administration had ordered a review of the decision made by the Bush administration shortly before departing. Salazar said he had concluded that dropping the wolf from the list was justified by its strong comeback in the two regions, which together have a population of nearly 5,600 wolves.

On the one hand, I'm cautiously pleased with the findings that the gray wolf can safely be removed from the endangered species list, as that means that their population has reached a certain self sustainability level, which is wonderful news.

On the other hand, this does not bode well for individual animals, as they would then move to the list of animals that people are allowed to hunt. Don't get me wrong, although I'm not a hunter, I fully support the right of people to hunt, both for sport and for food. However, I personally do not see the attraction of hunting predators merely for sport, whether it be wolves, cougars, coyotes, bears, etc. The one caveat I have to that is when a particular individual predator animal goes "rogue" and rather than hunt wild game, turns instead to domestic live stock. The selective removal of that particular animal, imo, is justified.

Predators keep the populations of wild grazing animals at sustainable, and healthy levels, allowing hunters to be able to "harvest" robust animals, rather than sickly, weak animals. Also, by keeping the wild grazing animal populations in check, this allows ranchers to maintain their domestic grazing animal stock at an appropriate level for the environment.

Idaho Gov. C.L. Butch Otter on Friday repeated his desire to get the first available wolf hunting tag in the state so he can try to shoot one of the animals.

As for Idaho's Governor desiring to have the first wolf permit issued by his state, all I can say is, gray wolves are a lot smarter than you think they are, pal - one of them might just bag you! :p


H/T specialrpt, writing in quicknews

Lawmaker out to outlaw Barbie

West Virginia state delegate says iconic toy overemphasizes beauty to girls

Barbie could get an unwelcome present for her 50th birthday: outlawed in West Virginia.

A state lawmaker proposed a bill Tuesday to ban sales of the iconic Mattel doll and others like her.
The Barbie Ban Bill, proposed by Democratic Delegate Jeff Eldridge (D) Lincoln County, says such toys influence girls to place too much importance on physical beauty, at the expense of their intellectual and emotional development.

With the economy in the tank, and getting worse, thanks mainly to others in this guy's party, he thinks that now is the time to try to push something this stupid through his state legislature? There must not be a whole lot going on in West Virginia if this guy can waste the time, and tax payer dollars, on something even he admits has a slim chance of passing.

I have some advice for you, Jeff, and for others of like mind - pay attention to what is REALLY important right now, like getting the economy turned around so people can have jobs, instead of tilting at inconsequential windmills like banning Barbie dolls. Besides, isn't it up to parents whether or not their little girl has a Barbie doll or not? Where do you get the idea that it's your job to remove parental responsibility in the uprearing of their children? Don't you think that's it's the job of parents to ensure that their children grow up with realistic attitudes about themselves, and not to get caught up in the "beauty is everything" trap? Oh, wait - you don't, otherwise you wouldn't have proposed such an idiotic bill.

Way to waste tax payer dollars, you moron.

Hearst Threat to Close Chronicle Underscores ‘Terrible’ Climate

As reported here, Hearst Co.’s plan to close or sell its San Francisco Chronicle newspaper unless it can cut more jobs signals that the industry’s advertising sales may be headed to new lows.

The publisher, already trying to sell its Seattle Post-Intelligencer, yesterday said it would seek voluntary buyouts for a “significant” number of its 1,500 employees after it lost $50 million last year. The announcement follows two newspaper owners filing for bankruptcy protection since Feb. 21.

The rest of the article goes on to list other papers that are also in financial trouble, citing that the main reason for that is the decline in print advertising revenue, but they don't go into the reason why the print ad revenue is declining. Well, let me tell you why. It's quite simple, really.

With only a few exceptions (the SF Examiner being one mentioned in the article), all print media charge money for their product. Several years ago, I paid for my news in print format every day on my way to work. Then two things kind of jumped up and slapped me upside the head. The first was that it was costing me money! I mean, actual, real coin to get this product. OK, at the time, it was only $2.50 a week, but still, that was actual money out of my pocket that could be better spent elsewhere. The other realization was, I had to do something with the left over product once I was finished with it. I don't own any birds, so I couldn't line the bottom of cages with it, nor am I a fishmonger, so I couldn't use it to wrap my wares with it, so ... what to do with it? I'm kidding, of course. I recycled it, as should have been done. So, people all over came to the same realization - why pay for this, when the money spent on this could be spent on something more important, like an extra latte a week, or something else equally critical to ones happiness and well being. And that's not all - most print media also have web sites (loaded with ads galore!) that replicate on line what they publish on paper, and other than the ISP access charges that people pay to gain access to the internet, most news on the web is free. Why pay for something you can get for free, and that you don't have to dispose of later (and have to pay for)? The MSM have basically cut their own throats with just this first example.

The next thing is the rise of what the MSM refers to as "alternative media", aka blogs, and "citizen journalism". Of course, the elites in the MSM look down their noses at "citizen journalists", aka bloggers, since those people didn't go to journalism school like they did, so how could they possibly be taken seriously? Which leads me to my next point.

Most (but certainly not all of course - there are wacko's out there of every stripe who just want somewhere to push their latest conspiracy theory or ideology) bloggers do their very best to post well researched articles and tell the truth, unlike the vast majority of "journalists" in the MSM. Most bloggers know that if they don't "get it right", their failing will be pointed out to them quite quickly, and usually in unflattering terms, and so are held accountable for what they post. However, most "journalists" in the MSM have no real checks to what they write, and as a result have, by and large, become too lazy to do even the most simple of on line searches to verify what they are going to publish (ever heard of Google you guys?).

The last thing is that in most cases, those who write for the print media have taken to inserting "editorial opinion" in their articles, rather than simply reporting events as they happen, spinning the event they are covering to fit their own biases. Whether you are a liberal or a conservative, most people reject whatever bias you inject into your articles, tiring of the whole "spin machine" climate that this type of editorializing has engendered.

So, to recap -

Why pay for something you can get for free on line?
Why wade through non-truths and sloppy, lazy writing when you can get the truth from blogs?
Why put up with someone's opinion when you are seeking information?

Unless and until the elites in the MSM face up to these three main factors, their industry will continue to decline until they become the next historical footnote in a long line of past failures.

H/T Ace

Personal update

Been a while since I've posted anything here, and for that I guess I should apologize to those of you who do check here now and then on a regular basis, for wasting your time. I plan on rectifying that (see below), and am thankful for your continued "patronage".

All I can say is that for the past several months, I've been putting in some hard hours at work, making it virtually impossible for me to do much more than eat, sleep, get up in the morning and do it all over again.

Well, thanks to the economic crisis enabled by the likes of Mssrs. Frank, Dodd, Schumer, Rangel et al., and their "let it roll for a little while longer" policies towards the various failed and/or failing financial institutions that became so entangled in the sub-prime mortgage mess, I now have plenty of time to get back to posting on a more regular basis, seeing as how I got laid off from my job this past Friday. Oh, and the "porkulus" bill isn't going to get it back for me any time soon, either! So thanks Barney, Chris, Chuck and Charles, et al. You should be proud of yourselves.

Oregon looks at taxing mileage instead of gasoline

Oregon looks at taxing mileage instead of gasoline

As reported here, Oregon is among a growing number of states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles. The idea first emerged nearly 10 years ago as Oregon lawmakers worried that fuel-efficient cars such as gas-electric hybrids could pose a threat to road upkeep, which is paid for largely with gasoline taxes.

This is on top of the call for a 50% increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes proposed by the National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing, a 15-member panel created by Congress.

The first idea is troubling in that Big Brother the government has no need to know where we are going, and when we are going there, and if enacted will face legal battles based on invasion of privacy constitutional grounds. It is simply none of their business what we do in our cars, as long as we are abiding by the laws.

The second idea is illogical (which has never stopped a government bureaucracy from doing anything, I know) in that the world is facing a global economic crisis and raising taxes now is beyond idiotic.

Why is this commission calling for a 50% increase in gas taxes? Because of two things - people have been getting out of their cars due to the high price of fuel (which isn't quite the propblem it was), and because of the government mandated CAFE rules which stipulate that cars be more fuel efficient. Both factors have contributed to the decline in tax revenue through less fuel consumed, hence the call for the increase in gas taxes.

But raising the taxes any amount (let alone 50%!) will create a "Catch-22" situation, in that as the price of gasoline jumps, people will be motivated to drive even less, which will only cause a decrease in fuel consumed, resulting in even less revenue generated through taxes.

Note to politicians thinking of pushing either of these two ideas - your terms will come to end at some point in the near future, and I wouldn't pin my hopes on getting re-elected if I were you.

H/T Reality Hammer